Mariah Carey was the first female performer to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, with “Fantasy.”
“Fantasy” entered the Hot 100 at No. 1 in September 1995. It was the lead single from Carey’s fifth studio album, Daydream, and became the second song overall to debut at the summit, following Michael Jackson’s “You Are Not Alone” earlier that month.
The track sampled Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love,” bringing a recognizable new-wave groove into a polished pop and R&B setting. Carey’s vocal performance and the song’s remix featuring Ol’ Dirty Bastard helped it reach a broad audience.
The wording matters: Carey was the first female performer to achieve a No. 1 debut, while “Fantasy” was not the first song by any artist to do so. Billboard later saw many more No. 1 debuts as sales and digital-era release strategies changed.